U.S. patent number 9,172,219 [Application Number 14/202,550] was granted by the patent office on 2015-10-27 for systems and methods for coupling ac power to a rack-level power infrastructure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Dell Products L.P.. The grantee listed for this patent is Dell Products L.P.. Invention is credited to Edmond I. Bailey, Richard S. Mills, John Stuewe, Kunrong Wang.
United States Patent |
9,172,219 |
Mills , et al. |
October 27, 2015 |
Systems and methods for coupling AC power to a rack-level power
infrastructure
Abstract
In accordance with the present disclosure, a detachable power
cable interface box (PCIB) for coupling AC power to a rack-level
power infrastructure is described. The detachable PCIB includes a
body section and a terminal disposed within the body section. The
terminal may be coupled to an AC power source. A wiring block may
also be disposed within the body, and the modular wiring block may
be coupled to the terminal. The wiring block may arrange power
input from the AC power source into a pre-determined output
configuration corresponding to a detachable interface. The system
may also include the detachable interface, and the detachable
interface may be configured to couple with an integrated connector
of the rack-level power infrastructure. The detachable interface
may be common to all types of AC power sources.
Inventors: |
Mills; Richard S. (Cedar Park,
TX), Bailey; Edmond I. (Cedar Park, TX), Stuewe; John
(Round Rock, TX), Wang; Kunrong (Austin, TX) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dell Products L.P. |
Round Rock |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Dell Products L.P. (Round Rock,
TX)
|
Family
ID: |
48871374 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/202,550 |
Filed: |
March 10, 2014 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20140192456 A1 |
Jul 10, 2014 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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13364110 |
Feb 1, 2012 |
8708736 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K
7/1492 (20130101); H02B 3/00 (20130101); G06F
1/26 (20130101); H02B 1/26 (20130101); Y10T
29/49117 (20150115); Y10T 29/49119 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
H02B
1/26 (20060101); H02B 3/00 (20060101); G06F
1/26 (20060101); H05K 7/14 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gushi; Ross
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Baker Botts L.L.P.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/364,110 entitled "Systems and Methods for
Coupling AC Power to a Rack-Level Power Infrastructure" which was
filed on Feb. 1, 2012 and is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety for all purposes.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A power distribution unit (PDU) system, comprising: a first
detachable interface, wherein the first detachable interface is
configured to couple with a first integrated connector of a
rack-level power infrastructure; a second detachable interface,
wherein the second detachable interface is configured to couple
with a second integrated connector of the rack-level power
infrastructure; a first and a second detachable power cable
interface boxes, wherein each of the first and second detachable
power cable interface boxes comprises a wiring block wherein the
wiring block arranges power from a first AC power source and a
second AC power source, respectively, into a pre-determined output
configuration corresponding to a detachable interface, wherein the
wiring block comprises a printed circuit board; a first power
distribution unit (PDU), wherein the first PDU includes a first
connector corresponding to a first detachable interface, wherein
the first PDU is operable to receive AC power from a first
detachable power cable interface box through the first connector;
and a second PDU, wherein the second PDU includes a second
connector corresponding to a second detachable interface, wherein
the second PDU is operable to receive AC power from a second
detachable power cable interface box through the second connector
and wherein the first PDU is cross-cabled with the second PDU to
provide redundant AC power.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and
second AC power sources is from a common public power grid at a
data center site.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wiring block is
swappable.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wiring block is
interchangeable according to a type of the AC power source.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the type of the first and
second AC power sources includes at least one of single-phase,
three-phase Wye, and three-phase Delta at a voltage level of at
least one of 208V, 220V, 277V, and 480V.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first PDU and the second
PDU output DC power to a common rail.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising: a DC/AC inverter
coupled to the common rail.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first
PDU and the second PDU includes a distribution configuration that
balances power consumption across power phases of the first AC
power source and second AC power source, respectively.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first PDU
and the second PDU includes multiple, single-phase commodity power
supply units.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multiple, single-phase
commodity power supply units are configured based, at least in
part, on power required by the system.
11. A method for coupling AC power to a rack-level power
infrastructure, comprising: receiving at a first power distribution
unit (PDU) alternating current (AC) power from a first AC power
source; receiving at a second PDU AC power from a second AC power
source; determining a type of the first AC power source;
determining a type of the second AC power source; coupling the
first AC power source to a first power cable interface box (PCIB);
coupling the second AC power source to a second PCIB; cross-cabling
the first PDU and the second PDU to provide redundant AC power;
arranging, respectively, a set of wires from the first AC power
source and the second AC power source to correspond to a
pre-determined pin configuration of a first detachable interface
and a second detachable interface, respectively, wherein arranging
the set of wires comprises selecting a wiring block corresponding
to the type of the AC power source, wherein the type of the AC
power source includes at least one of single-phase, three-phase
Wye, and three-phase Delta, with input voltage levels of 208V,
220V, 277V, and 480V, and wherein the wiring block comprises a
printed circuit board; coupling the first detachable interface to a
first integrated connector of the rack-level power infrastructure;
and coupling the second detachable interface to a second integrated
connector of the rack-level power infrastructure.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first AC
power source and the second AC power source is from a common public
power grid at a data center site.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first PDU
and the second PDU includes multiple, single-phase commodity power
supply units.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: configuring the
multiple, single-phase commodity power supply units based, at least
in part, on power required by the infrastructure.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the first
PDU and the second PDU includes a distribution configuration that
balances power consumption across power phases of the first AC
power source and the second AC power source, respectively.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the wiring block is
swappable.
17. The method of claim 11, at least one of the first PDU and the
second PDU output DC power to a common rail.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising: coupling a DC/AC
inverter to the common rail.
19. An information handling system, comprising: a processor; a
memory element coupled to the processor; and a direct current
(DC)/DC power supply coupled to the processor, wherein the DC/DC
power supply receives power from a rack-level power infrastructure,
wherein the rack-level power infrastructure comprises: a first
detachable power cable interface box (PCIS), wherein the first
detachable PCIB is operable to couple with a first alternating
current (AC) power source, and wherein the first detachable PCIB
includes a first detachable interface; a second detachable PCIB,
wherein the second detachable PCIB is operable to couple with a
second AC power source, and wherein the second detachable PCIB
includes a second detachable interface; a first power distribution
unit (PDU), wherein the first PDU includes a first connector
corresponding to the first detachable interface, wherein the first
PDU is operable to receive AC power from the first detachable PCIB
through the first connector; and a second PDU, wherein the second
PDU includes a second connector corresponding to the second
detachable interface, wherein the second PDU is operable to receive
AC power from the second detachable PCIB through the second
connector.
20. The information handling system of claim 19, wherein the at
least one of the first PDU and the second PDU includes multiple,
single-phase commodity power supply units.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to the operation of
computer systems and information handling systems, and, more
particularly, a rack level scalable and modular power
infrastructure.
BACKGROUND
As the value and use of information continues to increase,
individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and
store information. One option available to these users is an
information handling system. An information handling system
generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates
information or data for business, personal, or other purposes
thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the
information. Because technology and information handling needs and
requirements vary between different users or applications,
information handling systems may vary with respect to the type of
information handled; the methods for handling the information; the
methods for processing, storing or communicating the information;
the amount of information processed, stored, or communicated; and
the speed and efficiency with which the information is processed,
stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling
systems allow for information handling systems to be general or
configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial
transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data
storage, or global communications. In addition, information
handling systems may include or comprise a variety of hardware and
software components that may be configured to process, store, and
communicate information and may include one or more computer
systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems may comprise server systems that are
deployed in racks. These servers may be powered by, for example,
alternating current (AC) power. AC power may be of different types
depending on location. Servers and power infrastructure of a
rack-server system may have to be configured differently depending
on the type of AC power. Unfortunately, rewiring a power
infrastructure to accommodate the different types of power sources
available at various geological regions and locations may increase
the cost and deployment time of a rack server system, as well as
require an electrician to ensure that the power infrastructure is
wired correctly.
SUMMARY
In accordance with the present disclosure, a detachable power cable
interface box (PCIB) for coupling AC power to a rack-level power
infrastructure is described. The detachable PCIB includes a body
section and a terminal disposed within the body section. The
terminal may be coupled to an AC power source. A wiring block may
also be disposed within the body, and the modular wiring block may
be coupled to the terminal. The wiring block may arrange power
input from the AC power source into a pre-determined output
configuration corresponding to a detachable interface. The system
may also include the detachable interface, and the detachable
interface may be configured to couple with an integrated connector
of the rack-level power infrastructure. The detachable interface
may be common to all types of AC power sources.
The system and method disclosed herein is technically advantageous
because it allows for interchangeability and modularity in powering
racks and servers. Specifically, the detachable PCIB may allow for
a modular power infrastructure design that couples to an AC power
source through a common interface on the detachable PCIB instead of
having to be rewired to accommodate different power types.
Additionally, the detachable PCIBs may be Underwriters Laboratories
(UL) approved, meaning that the AC power can be coupled to the
detachable PCIB on site, and then coupled to the power
infrastructure without requiring an electrician. Other technical
advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art
in view of the following specification, claims, and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and
advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which like reference numbers indicate like features, and
wherein:
FIG. 1 shows an example rack-level, scalable and modular power
infrastructure, according to aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 shows an example power distribution unit, according to
aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 shows a wiring diagram of an example power distribution
unit, according to aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of a chassis of an example power
distribution unit, according to aspects of the present
disclosure.
FIG. 5a shows an example modular power connector, according to
aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5b shows example wiring blocks, according to aspects of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 6 shows an example battery back-up unit (BBU) system
deployable within an rack-level, scalable and modular power
infrastructure, according to aspects of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 7a and 7b show an example BBU system deployable within an
example power distribution unit, according to aspects of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 8 shows an example rack server system incorporating elements
of an example rack-level, scalable and modular power
infrastructure, according to aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 shows an example rack server system incorporating a
side-mounted, rack-level, scalable and modular power
infrastructure, according to aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 shows an example side-mounted, rack-level, scalable and
modular power infrastructure, according to aspects of the present
disclosure.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and
described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of
the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the
disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject
matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification,
alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to
those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this
disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this
disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of
the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may
include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities
operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive,
retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect,
record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information,
intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other
purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a
personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable
device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and
price. The information handling system may include random access
memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central
processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM,
and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of
the information handling system may include one or more disk
drives, one or more network ports for communication with external
devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as
a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling
system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit
communications between the various hardware components.
Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in
detail herein. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an
actual implementation may be described in this specification. It
will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such
actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must
be made to achieve the specific implementation goals, which will
vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be
appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and
time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for
those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the
present disclosure.
Shown in FIG. 1 is an example rack-level, scalable and modular
power infrastructure 100, in accordance with aspects of the present
disclosure. The power infrastructure 100 may be used to power
servers in any rack/server environment, such as a data center, or
in other server environments, as would be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure. The power
system 100 may receive AC power 102 from a power source. In certain
embodiments, AC power 102 may be from a common public power grid at
a data center site. As will be discussed below, the power
infrastructure 100 is advantageous because it may be modular,
scalable, and may accept various types of input AC power.
The AC power 102 may be received at a power distribution unit (PDU)
104. As will be described below, the PDU 104 may include multiple,
single-phase commodity power supply units (PSUs), as well as a
phase-balancing and distribution configuration that balances power
consumption across the power phases of the AC power 102. The PDU
104 may output DC power to a common rail, such as busbar 106, which
may be kept at a common 12 volt potential. Advantageously, the PDU
104 may be modular and scalable according to the amount of power
required by the servers. For example, in certain embodiments, the
PDU 104 may be cross-cabled with a second PDU to provide redundant
AC input. The redundant AC input may provide an alternate source of
AC input power, such that sufficient DC power can be provided to
the rack server system should one AC input power source fail.
Likewise, the PSUs may be added or removed depending on the power
required by the load.
Busbar 106 may be coupled to server components, such as servers
108a-n, and power infrastructure components, such as PDU 104,
Battery back-up unit (BBU) 110, and DC/AC inverter 112. Busbar 106,
for example, may be connected via cables to servers 108a-n, and may
supply the servers 108a-n with the 12 V DC power supply. Notably,
servers 108a-n may include DC/DC power supply units instead of
AC/DC power supply units common in typical rack servers, or may
accept 12 V DC power directly from the 12 V common rail. This may
decrease the size, weight, and heating requirements of a typical
rack-mount server.
A BBU 110 may charge from busbar 106 when AC power 102 is provided,
and discharge to busbar 106 when AC power 102 is lost. As will also
be discussed below, a BBU may also be included inside the PDU 104
within a form-factor chassis similar to the chassis of a commodity
PSU. In some data centers, the entire AC power feed may be
conditioned using large, expensive batteries to provide an
uninterruptable power system (UPS) to all racks/servers within the
data center. By including a battery back up within the rack-level
power infrastructure, the input power may be fed directly to the
racks and conditioned at the rack-level, and the entire AC power
feed may not need to be uninterruptable. This may reduce the need
for an external UPS, reduce the cost of powering the data center,
and improve power efficiency.
The power infrastructure 100 may also include AC power outlets,
which may be useful for rack operation and maintenance. In certain
embodiments, a DC/AC inverter 112 may be coupled to the busbar 106.
The DC/AC inverter 112 may receive the common 12 V power from the
busbar 106 and output AC power via common three-prong electrical
connections, for example. In certain embodiments, AC power outlets
may also be included within the PDU 104, as will be discussed
below.
FIG. 2 shows a functional diagram of an example PDU 200, in
accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In certain
embodiments, the PDU 200 may be used in a power infrastructure
similar to power infrastructure 100 from FIG. 1, with the PDU 200
receiving AC power 250 and outputting DC power to busbar 252. PDU
200 may comprise a rack-mountable chassis in which the power
elements of the PDU 200 are disposed. The PDU 200 may receive AC
power 250 at power cable interface box (PCIB) 202. In certain
embodiments, as will be described below, the PCIB 202 may include
modular components which allowing the PCIB 202 to accept multiple
types of AC power without rewiring by an electrician. These
multiple type of AC power may include single-phase, three-phase
Delta, three-phase Wye, interruptible, and noninterruptible, and
may comprise numerous voltages levels, including 110V, 208V, 220V,
230V, 240V, and 277V.
AC power 250 received at the PCIB 202 may be connected to a
distribution element 204. The distribution element 204 may
represent a wiring scheme whereby phase-balanced power is
distributed to power elements disposed within the PDU 200. In
certain embodiments, distribution element 204 may be coupled to
PSUs 206a-f via connectors 212-218, 252, and 254, respectively.
Connectors 212-218, 252, and 254 may carry phase-balanced AC power
to commodity PSUs 206a-f, which may then output DC power. In the
embodiment shown, where the distribution element couples to six
PSUs, a three-phase input AC power may be balanced across the PSUs.
For example, each phase of AC power 102 may be balanced across two
PSUs, so that no phase is loaded with more PSUs than any other
phase. In certain embodiments, the distribution element 204 may
also provide AC power outlets at element 210 via cable 224.
The PSUs 206a-f may comprise commodity PSUs installed into
appropriately sized slots within the PDU 200. In certain
embodiments, the PSUs 206a-f may couple with and output power
through connectors 220 disposed within the PDU 104. In certain
embodiments, the connectors 220 may comprise card slots or other
form-factor connectors with pre-defined pin configurations. For
example, PSUs 206a-f may couple with connectors 220. The connectors
may comprise ATX form factor connectors, or other commodity
connection types that would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill
in view of this disclosure. The PSUs 206a-f may receive control
signals from a power infrastructure controller 222 through the
connectors. The power infrastructure controller 222 may also send
control signals to other power elements, as will be described
below.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example wiring diagram of PDU 200, as
represented, in part, by distribution element 204 in FIG. 2.
Although the wiring diagram is show relative to PDU 200, the wiring
diagram may be used in other PDUs, as would be appreciated by one
of ordinary skill in view of this disclosure. AC power 250 may be
received via a plurality of wires at PCIB 202, represented by the
box around elements 302, 306, and 308. The wires received from AC
power 250 may differ according to the type of AC power 250. For
example, in a three-phase power, the wires may comprise three live
wires corresponding to the three phases of the power supply, as
well as a neutral wire (N) and a ground wire (G). The AC power 250
may be coupled to the PCIB via a first terminal 302. Following the
first terminal 302, some or all of the wire may be input into a
wiring block 308, which may be coupled to a second terminal 306. As
can be seen, the wiring block 308 may receive three live wires, as
well as the neutral wire from the terminal 302. The ground wire may
be coupled to either Earth ground or electrical ground after
terminal 302.
The wires may be output from the wiring block 308 to the second
terminal 306. The wiring block 308 may arrange the wires received
from terminal 302 into a pre-determined wiring arrangement at
second terminal 306, which corresponds to the wiring arrangement of
terminal 310. In certain embodiments, the wiring block 308 may
comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) designed for a particular
input power type, and interchangeable within the PCIB 202 depending
on the type of input power 250. For example, a wiring block may be
dedicated to single-phase, three-phase Delta, or three-phase Wye
power. By swapping the wiring block 308, the PDU can be configured
to accommodate a variety of different input AC power types without
an extensive rewiring.
The wiring block 310 may arrange the wires from the AC power into a
pre-determined configuration. The pre-determined configuration may
correspond to the ports of terminal 310. For example, in certain
embodiments, the terminal 310 may accept wires in a common
arrangement for all AC input types. Accordingly, wiring block 310
may comprise a PCB which arranges the input AC wires from within
the PCIB 202 to correspond to the wiring arrangement of the
terminal 310. Example wiring blocks are described below in FIG.
5b.
In certain embodiments, some of the wires output from the terminal
310 may be fed into a breaker 304. The breaker 304 may comprise
circuit breakers well known in the art, and the live wires may each
be connected to an individual breaker to protect against power
surges. Following breaker 204, each of the wires output from
terminal 310 may be coupled individually to a dedicated cable, such
as wireways 352-362. The wireways 352-362 may be connected in a
staggered configuration with outlets 212-218 as well as outlets 252
and 254. For example, outlet 212 may be coupled to wireways 354 and
362, and outlet 214 may be coupled to wireways 356 and 360.
Notably, each of the outlets 212-218 as well as 252 and 254 may be
coupled to a unique combination of two dedicated wireways. As can
be seen, the staggered configuration is designed such that each
wireway 352-362 is connected to only two outlets 212-218, 252, and
254, and may therefore each be connected to two PSUs. In cases with
three-phase input power, as shown, each phase of input AC power
250, through arranging the AC power wires at the wiring block 308
and terminal 310, and staggering the outlets 212-218, 252, and 254
across the dedicated wireways 352-362, may see a generally equal
amount of power draw from the load.
In addition to the wireways 352-362, the input AC power may be
connected to relays 312, 314, and 316, which are coupled to
switched AC outlets 210. As can be seen, each of the relays 312,
314, and 316 may be coupled to two different wires from terminal
310. In certain embodiments, the relays may include mechanical or
electrical switches located locally at the rack, allowing some or
all of the outlets 210 to be turned on and off. In certain
embodiments, the relays may be triggered from a remote source,
allowing an administrator, for example, to power up secondary
server gear without being physically located at a data center
site.
FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of an example PDU 400 deployed
in a rack-mountable chassis 450, with a top section removed to
better illustrate the internal configuration. PDU 400 may include a
similar wiring diagram to the wiring diagram illustrated in FIG. 3.
AC power 452 may be received at the PDU 400 through PCIB 454. In
certain embodiments, the PDU 400 may include breakers 470, which
may in some embodiments be accessible from the from of the PDU 400.
In the embodiment shown, PCIB 454 may be detachable, and may
connect with the PDU 400 through a detachable interface 490, as
will be described below with respect to FIG. 5a. The PCIB 454 may
connect with a terminal 456 integrated into the PDU 400 via the
detachable interface 490. In certain embodiments, the AC power 452
may then be phase balanced and distributed to connections 458-468
and switchable connections (not shown), as described above with
respect to FIG. 3. Notably, each of the connections 458-468 may
comprise common three-prong power cables that are either integrated
into the PDU 400 or are connected at one end to the outlets
integrated into the PDU 400 and at the other end to an outlet
disposed on a commodity PSU installed within one of Slots 1-6. The
slots 1-6 may be sized to accommodate commodity PSUs. In other
embodiments, depending on the form factor of the PSUs, other
numbers of PSUs, such as 9 or 12, can be incorporated into the PDU
to achieve a higher power total. In such embodiments, with, for
example, a three-phase AC input power, the distribution wiring
would need to be modified such that each of the phases supplies the
same number of PSUs. In three-phase power applications, PSU numbers
in a multiple of three is preferred to maintain balance.
Each of Slots 1-6 may be similarly sized, elongated cuboid openings
and may accept a similarly sized form factor, commodity PSU. PSUs
may be inserted through the front opening, adjacent to the
connectors 458-468, and pushed into the PSU. In certain
embodiments, a connector at the back of the PSU may engage with a
connector disposed at the back of each slot, Slot 1-6, opposite the
front of the PDU. The connectors 402-412 may comprise card slots
that engage with a form-factor card protruding from the back of
each PSU (not shown). Each form factor card, for example, may have
the same pin-out configuration, receiving control signal from a
power infrastructure controller, such as power infrastructure
controller 222, and outputting power through the same pins. In
certain embodiments, the connectors 402-412 may comprise other
connectors well known in the art, such as ATX form factor
connectors, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the
art in view of this disclosure. The connectors 402-412 may be
coupled to a busbar (not shown), such as busbar 106 from FIG. 1,
through which the PSU may supply DC power to servers within a rack
structure. The PDU 400 may also comprise a power infrastructure
controller 470 integrated into the PDU structure and communicating
at least with the PSUs coupled to the PDU through connectors
402-412.
FIG. 5a illustrates an example detachable PCIB 500, similar to the
PCIB 454 in FIG. 4, which incorporates a detachable interface 502
and allows for insertion/coupling and removal/decoupling of power
from a PDU. In certain embodiments, when the PCIB 500 is inserted
into the PDU, the PCIB 500 may be secured to the PDU body to
maintain ground contact. The AC power configuration in current data
centers varies based several different parameters, including
current rating, such as 20, 30, or 50 amps; phase number, such as
single or 3 phase; cable length; voltage, such as 208V, 220V, 240V,
or 277V; and configuration, such as Wye or Delta. This results in a
very large number of potential power configurations, leading to a
long lead-time to build custom solutions to specific customer
needs. By providing a detachable and modular PCIB that attaches to
a PDU with a universal interface, the PDU can be manufactured as a
modular unit with a pre-determined interface to the PCIB, with the
interface being common to all PCIBs. The PCIB can then be coupled
to power sources of any type--including the power types mentioned
above as well as High Voltage DC--and connected to the common
interface. This allows the PDU to accept any power type without the
PDU having to be reconfigured or rewired. Rather, the configuration
is limited to, for example, the wiring block in the PCIB.
As can be seen, the detachable PCIB 500 may comprise a rectangular
body section coupled to the AC power 550. In certain embodiments,
the detachable PCIB 500 may be coupled to AC power 550 via terminal
504 in the body section before the detachable PCIB 500 is inserted
into a PDU. In the embodiment shown, the detachable PCIB 500
includes terminals 504 and 506. In certain embodiments, a
detachable PCIB may include elements similar to the terminals shown
in FIG. 3. In addition, the detachable PCIB 500 may include a
wiring block 520, positioned between terminal 504 and terminal 506.
The wiring block 520 may comprise a PCB and may arrange the power
from AC power 550 into a pre-determined output configuration
corresponding to the detachable interface, similar to wiring block
308 described above. The detachable interface may, for example,
include a pre-determined pin configuration, and the wires from the
AC power 550 may be arranged to correspond to the pre-determined
pin configuration of the detachable interface. The type of wires
and power coupled to each pin may be common across all types of AC
power, such that the detachable PCIB 500 can be coupled to a PDU
through, for example, an integrated connector 560, and the PDU
would accept AC power from the detachable PCIB 500 without having
to be modified at all.
In certain embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 5a, a
six pin detachable interface 502 may be used to connect any
single-phase, and various three-phase AC power feeds to the PDU via
an integrated connector 560 with the power earth or power ground,
directly connected to the PCIB 500. The six-pin interface 502 and
the integrated connector 560 may include complementary pin
configuration, ensuring that the correct wires from the AC power
are connected to the correct terminal in the PDU. Each of the pins
of the six-pin interface may be used regardless of the input-power
type. By utilizing the six-pin configuration in a universal way,
the PCIB 500 and wiring block 520 may be designed in a modular
fashion, decreasing the cost and the deployment time.
In certain other embodiments (not shown), an eight-pin interface
may be utilized, consisting of the six-pins described above as well
as a PG pin and an input voltage identification pin that indicates,
for example, when an input voltage is 277V. The PG pin may connect
the power or earth ground through the PDU, while the input voltage
identification pin may be used to differentiate a high input AC
voltage, such as 277V, from other lower input AC voltages. The PDU
may respond to a signal on the input voltage identification pin,
indicating for example a 277V input voltage, by automatically
disabling at least one power element in the PDU. In certain
embodiments, the PDU may disable switchable outlets at the PDU to
protect any device connected to the switchable outlets from being
exposed to the high voltage, while still proving power to PSUs
disposed within the PDU. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary
skill in the art in view of this disclosure, each pin of the
interface 502 is not required to be in use for all power types.
Rather, for single phase power types, for example, some of the pins
may not be used.
Advantageously, a detachable PCIB such as PCIB 500 in FIG. 5a may
allow for a modular power infrastructure design that couples to an
AC power source through a common interface on the detachable PCIB
instead of having to be rewired to accommodate different power
types. Additionally, the detachable PCIBs may be Underwriters
Laboratories (UL) approved, meaning that the AC power can be
coupled to the detachable PCIB on site, and then coupled to the
power infrastructure without requiring an electrician.
FIG. 5b shows example wiring block configurations for three-phase
Delta input power, three-phase Wye input power, and single phase
input power. As can be seen, each of the example wiring blocks
arranges the input power into a universal six wire output that may
interchangeably correspond, for example, to the pre-determined
wiring arrangement at a PDU. The three-phase Delta power input, for
example, may include three input wires, A, B, and C. The wiring
block may arrange the wires such that six wires--A1, B2, B1, C2,
C1, A2--are output from the wiring block. The three-phase Wye power
input, for example, may include four wires, A, B, C, and N and the
wiring block may be arranged to provide a six wire output--A, N, B,
N, C, N. The single phase power input, for example, may include two
wires, L and N, and the wiring block may be arranged to provide a
six wire output--L, N, L, N, L, N. Notably, in each example, the
wiring block may outputs a six wire arrangement. Each wiring block
may be used interchangeably in a PCIB, for example, with the
correct wiring block being selected for the type of input power.
The wiring block output may then be coupled to a terminal within
the PCIB which corresponds to an input terminal at the PDU. The
configuration may be advantageous because configuring the input
power may be accomplished apart from the design of a PDU,
simplifying the design and allowing for modularization.
Returning to FIG. 1, a BBU, such as BBU 110, may also be included
within the power infrastructure, receiving DC power from a busbar
to charge the internal batteries, and outputting DC power to the
busbar when the AC power source fails or is lost. FIG. 6
illustrates an example BBU system 600 which may be sized similarly
to a rack server, and mountable within a rack using tabs 618,
positioned at the front to the BBU system 600. In certain other
embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, a BBU
system may be disposed within the PDU.
The BBU system 600 may include at least one battery 610 within a
battery drawer 650. The battery 610 may comprise multiple types,
including Lithium Polymer and valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA), and
the BBU system 600 may receive and store power at multiple voltage
levels, including 18V, 48V, and 240V-400V DC. In addition, the BBU
system 600 may comprise redundant batteries. The battery drawer 650
may be open at the front of the BBU system 600, allowing the
batteries 610 to be easily accessed and interchanged for
maintenance and other operational conditions. In certain
embodiments, the battery 610 may be hot-swappable. The battery 610
may be electrically coupled to power modules 602 via connector 612.
The power modules 602 may comprise multiple power modules, for
example six or eight power modules, depending on the amount of
power input to the BBU system 600. The power modules 602 may be
coupled to a DC busbar, such as busbar 106 from FIG. 1, via busbar
connector 604, and also may be coupled to a ground return via
busbar connection 606. The power modules 602 may act as a power
conversion and regulation device which converts generally variable
battery voltage to a regulated voltage on the 12 V common rail in
discharge mode, and vice versa in charge mode. The power modules
602 may also be configured to accommodate variable DC inputs, such
as The power modules 602 may be in parallel operation with current
or load sharing.
The power modules 602 may cause the battery 610 to either be
charged by the input DC power from busbar connector 604, or
discharge DC power to a busbar through busbar connector 604. In
certain embodiments, the BBU system 600 may receive at a power
module controller 614 a control signal through a PDU interface 608.
The control signal may come from a power infrastructure controller,
such as power infrastructure controller 222, and may indicate, for
example, that the PDU has lost AC power. The control signal may
comprise, for example, a simple network management protocol (SNMP)
signal. The power module controller 614 may respond to the control
signal by issuing a control command to the power modules 602. If
the PDU is receiving AC power, for example, the power modules 602
may cause the BBU to be in a charge mode, where the DC power from
the DC busbar is used to charge the battery 610. If the PDU is not
receiving power, for example, the power modules 602 may cause the
BBU to be in a discharge mode, where the battery 610 outputs power
to the DC busbar. The BBU system 600 may further include an
emergency power off 616, which functions as a kill switch to the
BBU 110.
In certain embodiments, the BBU system 600 may further communicate
bi-directionally with a power controller, such as power
infrastructure controller 222, to allow for power capping during
battery usage as well as to allow the server system, or an
administrator accessing the server system, to have information
about the BBU system 600. The information may include information
used for power management, including, but not limited to, battery
state, battery health, battery capacity, and battery temperature.
Additionally, the BBU system 600 may communicate with a power
controller to allow for both passive and active power sharing
between the power infrastructure and the BBU system 600. For
example, a power controller may communicate with the BBU system 600
to vary the amount of power used by the BBU system 600 to charge
battery 610.
Although the BBU system 600 is shown with busbar connections 604
and 606, receiving for example a 12 V DC input power, other
configurations are possible. For example, BBU system 600 may
receiver power from a PDU through a cable instead of a busbar.
Additionally, instead of 12 V DC input power, the BBU system 600
may receiver a higher voltage level DC power, such as 48 V or up to
400V, through an additional connector (not shown). Other
configurations would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the
art in view of this disclosure.
In certain embodiments, a power infrastructure, such as the power
infrastructure in FIG. 1, may include a BBU element within the PDU,
either alone or in addition to a rack mounted BBU, such as BBU
system 600. FIG. 7a shows an example BBU system 700 incorporated
into a form-factor chassis 704 similar to a commodity PSU described
above. Notably, chassis 704 may be sized to fit within a commodity
power supply unit (PSU) slot in a power distribution unit (PDU),
such as Slot 1 in FIG. 4, instead of a commodity PSU.
As can be seen, BBU system 700 includes an example form-factor
connector, connector card 706, protruding from the back of the
chassis 704. This connector card 706 may comprise a pre-determined
pinout configuration that matches the pinout configuration of a
similarly-sized commodity PSU, so the BBU system 700 is swappable
with a commodity PSU within the PDU. In certain embodiments, the
connector card 706 may coupled to a card connector within a PDU,
such as connectors 402-412 in FIG. 4. In addition to the connector
card 706, the chassis 700 may include form-factor alignment and
latching mechanisms 702 similar to a commodity PSU.
FIG. 7b shows an example configuration of a BBU system 700 with one
side of the chassis 704 removed. As can be seen, the BBU system 700
comprises a battery 708 and a power module 710, with the battery
708 coupled to the power module 710 via cable 712. The BBU system
700 may further include a power module controller 714 coupled to
the power module 710. In certain embodiments, control signals and
power may be received through pre-determined pins on the card
connector 706. The module controller 714 may receive the control
signals can cause the power modules to charge the battery 708 with
the received DC power or to output power from the battery 708
through the card 706.
FIG. 8 illustrates an example rack server system incorporating
aspects of an example modular and scalable power distribution
system, according to aspects of the present invention. The rack
server system includes a rack 800, populated with server systems
802, a PDU 804, a busbar 806, a DC/AC inverter 808, and a BBU
system 810. The PDU 804 may receive AC input power 812 via
detachable PCIB 814. Multiple single-phase, commodity PSUs, such as
PSU 816 and 820 may be installed into slots within PDU 804, receive
phase-balanced AC power from the PDU over, for example, connectors
818, and output DC power to busbar 806 via cable 852. In certain
embodiments, the PDU 804 may for example, further comprise a BBU
system deployed within the PDU 804 instead of PSU 820, sized
similarly to the single-phase, commodity PSU 820, and which
receives power from and outputs power to the busbar 806.
Additionally, a BBU system 810 and a DC/AC inverter 808 may also be
coupled to the busbar 806. The BBU system 810, for example, may be
similar to the BBU system 600 in FIG. 6, and may comprise a battery
slot 822, and an emergency power-off 824. The BBU system 810 may
also include power modules (not shown) that cause the BBU system
810 to either receive power from busbar 806 or output power to
busbar 806 via cable 850. Likewise, DC/AC inverter 808 may receive
DC power from the busbar 806 via cable 840. The DC/AC inverter 808,
however, may provide AC output power at common three-prong power
outlets, allowing common networking equipment to be powered without
an additional AC input line and in cases when the AC input fails or
is lost.
Each of the servers 802 may receive DC power from a PDU 804 or BBU
system 810 via busbar 806. Each of the servers may accept external
12 V DC power, instead of AC/DC power supplies common in most
server applications. In instances where the AC input power 812 is
lost, BBU system 810 may output power onto the busbar 806, powering
servers 802 and inverter 808 until AC input power 812 can be
restored. As would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in view
of this disclosure, the figure illustrating system 800 is
simplified. In a physical implementation, additional connections
would be included to each of the servers, and such connections may
include additional power equipment, such as wires, cables, busbars.
Additionally, each system may have multiple 12 V power domains,
with different 12 V busbars, that can be either stand-alone or
interconnected.
In certain other embodiments, a scalable and modular power
infrastructure similar to the infrastructure shown in FIGS. 1 and 8
may be deployed outside of used rack space. In FIG. 8, for example,
space within rack 800 is used for the power equipment, decreasing
the server capacity. In certain embodiments, the power
infrastructure may be deployed outside of usable server space
within the rack. FIG. 9 shows an example unpopulated rack 900. The
rack, for example, may include multiple compartments 904, each of
which may be fully populated with servers. Side-car chassis 902
containing modular and scalable power infrastructure may be mounted
to the side of the rack 900, preserving usable rack space.
FIG. 10 shows an example configuration of a modular and scalable
power infrastructure 1000 deployed in a side-car chassis 1050. As
can be seen, the power infrastructure 1000 may receive AC input
power 1002 at a PCIB 1012. In certain embodiments, the PCIB 1002
may include a modular wiring block, such as wiring block 308 above,
or may be detachable, similar to PCIB 500 from FIG. 5a. In certain
embodiments, power infrastructure 1000 may comprise phase-balancing
and distribution circuitry similar to the wiring diagram in FIG. 3.
PSUs 1006 may be installed within the side-car chassis 1050 through
an opening or power supply unit slot at the front of the side-car
chassis 1050, and may receive pluggable AC power. Each of the PSUs
1006 may be coupled to a busbar 1010, via form-factor connections
1052 within the side-car chassis 1050. Advantageously, the number
of PSUs, and total output power, may be scalable by inserting
additional PSUs within the infrastructure 1000. Likewise, the
infrastructure may be modular by accepting commodity PSUs via the
form-factor connections 1052.
The busbar 1010 may be partially disposed within the chassis 1050
and may provide power to servers within a rack. In addition, the
power infrastructure 1000 may include a BBU disposed within the
chassis 1050, similar to the BBUs described above. The BBU may
include a hot-swappable battery 1004, which may be installed
through the front of the side-car chassis 1050, and connect with
connector 1054. The BBU may also include power modules and a power
module controller 1008, and may cause the battery 1004 to either
charge from the busbar 1010 or discharge power to the busbar 1010.
Additionally, the power infrastructure 1000 may include AC power
outlets 1014 to power equipment for the rack/server system.
Therefore, the present disclosure is well adapted to attain the
ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent
therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are
illustrative only, as the present disclosure may be modified and
practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those
skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein.
Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of
construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the
claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular
illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified
and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit
of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been
described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,
substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing
from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the
appended claims. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain,
ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by
the patentee. The indefinite articles "a" or "an," as used in the
claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the
element that it introduces.
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